Author: Matt

For the first time in modern history, a major political party convention was not about the optics, the crowds, or arena-sized production value. The Democratic National Convention, held virtually, was less about the medium and more about the message. NPR spoke to three Democratic voters to hear what they thought.

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Former President Barack Obama reportedly changed the speaking order during Wednesday night’s Democratic National Convention so that he would speak before Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, symbolizing a passing of the torch from one political generation to another. So what would a Biden-Harris administration look like?

NPR’s Susan Davis explains that while Biden would inherit new problems caused by the pandemic, he’ll also face long-standing issues with Congress.

And NPR’s Carrie Johnson explores what Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have said about the possibility of a Biden administration Department of Justice prosecuting President Trump — if he’s voted out of office.

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For months President Trump has tried to suggest voting by mail is not reliable, while ‘absentee’ voting is. There’s no difference.

NPR’s Pam Fessler reports some states are trying to make the process easier by tweaking the deadline by which ballots must be postmarked.

And reporter Frank Morris explains what’s happening to hundreds of mail sorting machines that have been taken out of service at postal locations around the country.

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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill welcomed students back to campus, only to cancel all in-person classes a week later. Can any college campus really open while the virus is still so widespread?

NPR’s Elissa Nadworny reports on what it looks like to try, from The University Of Georgia.

And NPR’s Sequoia Carrillo reports on how U.S. military academies are making it work.

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Testing is down 40% in two of the hardest-hit states — Texas and Florida. Ashish Jha of Harvard’s Global Health Institute explains what might be going on.

NPR’s Alison Aubrey describes a new COVID-19 test developed by Yale University that works with saliva.

And NPR’s Kirk Sielger reports on a school district in Idaho that’s preparing to reopen — and possibly close right back down again.

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The Census Bureau has said it needs more time to complete their count of every person living in the country. But the Trump administration is ending the effort a month earlier than planned. Census experts worry it could lead to an undercount of historically under-represented groups.

Find more coverage of the census from NPR’s Hansi Lo Wang, or follow him on Twitter.

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Democrats and Republicans have been unable to agree on a new coronavirus aid package. The President has his own plan — a handful of executive orders that would delay the federal payroll tax and provide a smaller amount of federal unemployment benefits than existed before. But those efforts would not help millions of Americans who’ve been out of work for months.

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No major political party has ever put a woman of color on a presidential ticket. Until now, when Senator Kamala Harris — a former district attorney and state attorney general — is meeting a moment of national reckoning with the role of law enforcement in American life.

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More Americans are expected to vote by mail this year than ever before. But President Trump has called the U.S. Postal Service “a joke,” and now a major GOP donor runs the organization.

A USPS employee tells NPR’s Noel King that changes from the new Postmaster General are making her job harder.

And NPR’s Pam Fessler reports that secure drop boxes for ballots could help some states rely less on the mail.

If you want to hear NPR’s latest coverage on Joe Biden’s pick for Vice President, Senator Kamala Harris, the NPR Politics Podcast will have a new episode on Tuesday evening — listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

NPR’s Up First will have more Wednesday morning — also on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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A school district in Georgia learned firsthand last week that the virus is almost impossible to contain — especially without masks and social distancing.

A new effort in New York City encourages travelers to self-isolate when they get into town.

And public health workers in Texas and California explain that the size of the outbreak makes contact tracing a huge challenge.

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Email us at considerthis@npr.org.